Episodes
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Every school has one - a PTA or parent teacher association but practically no tennis clubs have a CTO (club tennis association), a CPA (club pro association), or a PCA (player club organization.
Why not?
The PTA addresses collective concerns of the parents relative to that of the schools ongoing activities. The PTA connects parents and teachers to address their concerns and so could a CTO, CPA, or a PCA. The PTA requests additional teacher support or school support and so could a CTO, a CPA, or a PCA. The PTA provides feedback to the school and its teachers as to how things are going or not going and so could a CTO, CPA or a PCA. The PTA brings in guest speakers, brings in book fairs, and conducts fund raisers and so could ...
You get the point, so maybe its time to pursue this helpful association.
Thanks for joining us on our journey!
TR
www.tennisrockers.com
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Is it really just the mental game of tennis or is there an emotional game as well?
When we make a mistake that costs points in a game or looks silly to our coaches and practice partners are we really just thinking a thought or are we feeling something as well?
If we sing along to a rock song are we just thinking about the words that were said or are we caught up in the emotion of the beat, harmony, or melody and just going with the flow?
In both playing tennis or singing along to a rock song, we're using our heads (the mental side) and our hearts (the emotional side) in engaging with either of these activities.
Whether playing an instrument or playing with a racquet, we need to employ our "mental" or thinking capabilities in order to know what to do and when to do it. But once we engage in this play, our "other" capability, our emotional capability, kicks in and starts affecting our play.
You miss an “easy shot” and chastise yourself with “I suck” or “come on, you’re better than that” or you go old school with your inner coach and tell yourself about how you don’t belong there. These are thoughts, but they emanate from feelings - raw feelings of disgust or anger at your abilities or sadness at your potential loss of points or the game at the hands of your insufficient skills. They are feelings that have been built up from years of living life: interactions with family, friends, coaches, teachers and people who have floated in and out of your life. Feelings that have likely been allowed to fester because you likely didn’t have anyone with whom to talk it through. You didn’t have a support group.
In this episode, we explore the importance of starting and maintaining your own personal support group to deal with your feelings.
Thanks for joining us on our journey!
www.tennisrockers.com
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Missing episodes?
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Where’s the transition plan for all tennis players?
A plan developed from a careful and considerate evaluation of each players emotional, mental, physical, and tactical abilities to play the game of tennis? A plan which provides a path forward for each individual tennis player to pursue based on their results.
Without analysis and conclusion a path and a plan can’t be proposed and a player is left to guess and either overestimate or underestimate their potential in tennis.
If a child starts playing and taking lessons, what is their path forward in tennis?
Do they just continue to play as a recreational player? Do they just play high school tennis and then play recreational tennis for the rest of their lives? Maybe they try to play for the college club team or try to make it into a D3 school? Should they even try to make a D1 college team?At what point is pro an actual consideration?Don’t all players deserve an answer to the question “now what”?
In this episode, we explore the possibilities of creating a national testing plan to help tennis players get realistic feedback on their potential and receive a plan which sets out a path forward.
Thanks for joining us on our journey!
www.tennisrockers.com -
Protein is deified in our culture as THE key element to our diets that will affect our energy, health, and performance levels, but is it really or is it yet another “trend” to latch onto for those in search of a simple answer to complex nutritional needs we human beings and especially we human being tennis players?
In this episode, we spark a nutritional conversation about protein in the hopes of providing a different perspective on the cultural protein push.
Thanks for joining us on our journey!
www.tennis rockers.com
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It’s pretty obvious, tennis coaches and clubs stopped asking questions a long time ago. Questions about their membership demographics, members unspoken needs, the clubs current services approach, and the way all those issues work together to build meaning for the coaches, clientele, and the club.
Meaning is the magnet which draws people in and makes them want to come back. But in today’s transactional and mechanistic approach we have favored getting it done and making money to building meaning.
What brings meaning?
Addressing a coaches or clients emotional and mental needs with a physical manifestation of that meaning. If players would appreciate a lounge to hang out (like a teen lounge or a Starbucks) then give it to them. The money you’ll spend in furniture will be made back through sales of lessons, products, or future court time.
Prototype it, give it time, gather feedback, and implement what works. The results might just bring the meaning, and eventually the money you were looking for.
Thanks for joining us on our journey!
www.tennisrockers.com -
When was the last time you thought about the relationship with your coach or student? When was the last time you thought it through to make it better for the both of you?
Maybe you don't want to - things are good. If you're the coach, hey, they come to lessons, seem happy or somewhat engaged and I get paid - done. If you're the student, they teach me, it's not always easy, but I learn something and sometimes it's really fun.
Kept that way, it works - but on what basis?
The relationship works at its most basic level, but ultimately, is that what either the coach or student want for their entire time together? And what happens when that relationship breaks down because we don't periodically revisit this relationship? What happens when we don't communicate?
A coach/student relationship can deteriorate and at some points be destructive and the relationship with teenagers can be one of the toughest relationship challenges.
So what should we consider around these challengers? We should start with our communication and in this episode we acknowledge and seek answers for coaches, students, and parents to a common situation - a lack of proactive communication.
Thanks for joining us on our journey!
www.tennisrockers.com -
What leads to player burnout?
Everyone talks about burnout in the general sense, but not a lot of people put specificity around it.
Maybe, in part, burnout comes from not telling players the whole story - both at the beginning and during their individual journeys - of what it takes to learn the skills involved in the sport of tennis? If players were more informed, they might have time to “think” about their “feelings” about tennis and in turn work through this complex mix of human byproduct and in turn feel more confident and comfortable in the direction they want their tennis to take.
If a coach communicated the possible paths in tennis then maybe a player might be more informed and develop a more intelligent and in-depth interest. So what are some of these sample paths:
RecreationalRecreational -> tournaments -> tennis teamRecreational -> high performance -> tournaments -> collegeRecreational -> high performance -> tournaments -> college -> professional tennis,Recreational -> tournaments -> high performance -> pro/am circuit (or futures) -> professional tennisCould knowing and keeping these paths in mind make a difference and avoid burnout?
In this episode, we explore the concept of clearly communicating the paths available to players as they traverse along their own individual tennis trail.
Thanks for joining us on our journey!
www.tennisrockers.com -
A tennis expert (i.e. a commentator, a club owner, or a pro) wouldn't consider or recommend adding a reading session as part of your on court tennis class - likely because reading story or a work of non-fiction is something that's done in a library or classroom, not on a court. A tennis expert would question why and likely pose objections along the lines of:
* Customers/students are paying for movement, not reading.
* The court isn't setup like a library or classroom, how would this even happen?
* What's the connection to tennis or how is it relevant to the game?
* Nobody else is doing this, why should weThat's because a tennis expert is tethered to their experience, tennis convention (i.e. this is the way we've always done it and this is the way we'll continue to do it!), and the threat of embarrassment and questions, while a zero gravity thinker and contributor (i.e. a non-tennis expert) is not. Zero gravity thinkers don't have expertise in the area they're studying but they do have experience with creating and other aspects of life which they can bring to tennis. But only if tennis lets them in, listens, takes action, tries/fails, and keeps the good things which work.
But because tennis is struggling with attendance, commitment, and programs, we need to find some new solutions. We need to invite some zero gravity guys into the game of tennis to help build it back into something better.
In this episode, we consider the possibility of adding a reading exercise to the tennis lesson. A concept that zero gravity thinkers would consider and tennis experts might condemn.
Thanks for joining us on our journey!
www.tennisrockers.com
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Every day, food product companies inundate us with their products messages which bend and stretch the meanings of the very words they use. Words such as "healthy", "organic", "100% real _____ included", "__ servings of fruits and vegetables", and a "full serving of ______ in every package." They are the words consumers often rely on to decide whether or not to put it into their cart.
Promotional words used to "assist" and "persuade" shoppers to purchase their product. Promotional words which make their product "appear" to be a moderately healthy choice so consumers can justify purchasing and eating it and feel good about purchasing it again. They are words we see and hear everywhere from print media, to television, and online advertising.
They are words that build trust in a product that isn't really best for us. That trust in turn causes us to often overlook the ingredients label and discover something deeper and a bit duplicitous about these words of trust. We discover a long list of non-healthy ingredients such as: sugars, pseudo-sugars, oils, preservatives, colors, and conditioners call into questions the claims of health printed all over the rest of the package.
And while there are occasional public service announcements reminding us to read labels, eat right, and be careful about our calorie consumption, these are rare. But what if the tennis club could help the cause?
Every day, tons of people filter in and out of tennis clubs all across America to learn to play and play this great game. We have an opportunity to help the eating healthy cause and in this episode, we kick around what that could mean and look like. In this episode, we contemplate how the tennis club can help provide more balanced nutrition messaging to the people they serve.
Thanks for joining us on our journey!
www.tennisrockers.com -
We often don’t think about diet or nutrition unless we face constant fatigue or are in a health crisis. And, our social and work cultures reinforce consumption of “food products” and “convenience foods” so we can “do more”, “keep going”, “make our deadlines”, and “cross things off our list”.
We have all normalized these food products and convenience foods which are rife with chemicals, enriched flour, oils, preservatives, salts, and sugars but we are feeling and seeing the after effects of such a life style.
But when we visit a tennis club or facility, we enter into a different world in which movement and health are the main part of the program. The social culture of the tennis club is a perfect fit for seducing club members into selecting a nutrition class that could benefit both their bellies and your bottom line.
In this episode, we use a food documentary film as a jumping off point for encouraging more clubs to include diet and nutrition classes.
Thanks for joining us on our journey!
www.tennisrockers.com -
We've all heard it from someone else - what another colleague said to someone else about you or your work - and it never feels good. In fact, it can often feel like ... sabotage.
But is what another person said really sabotage or just an attempt to insert their own impression (find a seat at the social table) or even fill their roster and put food on their table?
The tennis court can be a place of heated contention and in this episode, we deconstruct misinterpreting other people’s actions.
Join us on our journey!
www.tennisrockers.com -
Could a nutrition class compliment a tennis club's offerings and boost the bottom line? You know, a classroom style series of lectures and group discussions which discuss basic nutrition concepts and demonstrates the effect of food on energy levels, quality of life, and longevity?
A nutrition class, hosted by a registered dietician who does it for free in order to get exposure to potential paying clients, could be a draw for non-tennis playing people and current customers. It says "I care about you and your health" and in caring for someone else, you engender emotional credibility.
Take a few minutes to noodle on adding a nutrition class to your club whether you are an owner, pro, or player, it just might be the outstanding offering you were hoping would help.
Thanks for joining us on our journey!
www.tennisrockers.com -
Tennis clubs have the perfect opportunity to talk about nutrition - it's the fuel that will either feed you or lead you to failure on the tennis court and in the afterworld of physical recovery - so why won't they make it a core mission?
Maybe it's because the clients don't play enough to feel the effects of poor nutrition on their performance and recovery.
So, if you play for only a couple hours a week, you probably won't feel the effects of eating a diet rich in flour, oils, preservatives, salt, and sugar. In fact, you'll probably feel just fine. But dietitians and nutritionists will tell you a different tale - a tale about the effects of good diet and nutrition over bad.
In this episode, we listen and reflect on a couple of important clips from a food documentary about the long tail effects of nutrition on the body in the hopes of understanding how we can implement a nutrition class at a tennis club that has teeth!
Thanks for joining us on our journey!
www.tennisrockers.com -
Mark Campanile has put his interest into his intention and dedicated a life to tennis both personally and professionally. In the last 40 years, Mark has taken a teenage passing interest and turned it into a lifelong love. Mark found the spark of tennis in Europe and carried it into college. He kept playing and started stringing, so much so that he got his certification and started a small stringing business. In the ensuing decades, Mark coached his own son from scratch to a D1 scholarship, built a pro shop business, and became a tennis teacher to many students of the game.
In the interview with certified stringer, master racquet technician, professional racquet advisor, tennis pro, and parent coach of his own D1 college playing son, we learn a little bit about a lot and along the way see that tennis has both a lot to offer and a lot to teach.
If you are the parent of a tennis student or a tennis player, you will learn something about:
How to think about racquetsHow to think about string composition, selection, and tensionWorking with a certified racquet stringerWhat you should want your kids to focus on in a tennis lessonThanks for joining us on our journey!
www.tennisrockers.com -
Self-talk is pervasive in our sport, yet it is not something we learn to deal with in a tennis lesson or is talked through with coaches or other players. Self talk is part of the emotional journey of tennis yet it gets marginalized and trivialized in "blooper" style Youtube videos and talked about in hushed commentator tones. We know this needs to change.
It seems to us that there are at least five types of self-talks that people put themselves through at any one point in a game, lesson, or practice and these include:
The analyzer
The blamer
The criticizer
The outburstor
The reflectorOnce we know them, what do we do about them? Do we just ignore them and keep on going or could there be a more "coachable approach"? We think this is an opportunity to organize around and start scheming up some solutions.
For starters, any club could bring in a sports psychologist to train tennis coaches or even conduct co-pro/student classes to discuss the cycle of emotional and mental self-talk to help people identify and work through their own styles of self talk. This could take place a couple of times a year and the costs could be defrayed by hosting a mandatory separate class that all students have to go through once a year in order to practice and play at the club.
But that's just the beginning. Studying self talk can build interest and personal meaning for our sport - a bit of gratitude for a sport that helps us deal with our own "attitudes".
Thanks for joining us on our journey!
www.tennisrockers.com -
What happens if we misinterpret our players emotional reactions and project our own impression on students? What happens if our players project their emotional impressions of what the coach "could" or "might" be thinking or feeling about a drill or tennis activity?
We junk up their cognitive runway or a person's emotional and mental space they need to "takeoff" or "land" their "plane" (body) while playing tennis.
In this episode, we discover the cognitive runway. What it is, how and why this analogy helps, and when to recognize that you could be junking it up.
Thanks for joining us on our journey!
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Everyday, all across the world, tennis pros are teaching tennis to thousands of children, teenagers, and adults. Every time they walk onto that court, like a rock star walking on stage, they make a decision about how they want to "show up" and "represent" the face of tennis.
Fans expect rock stars to show up and represent the face of their music and in the image they have established to the world - their brand. When the rock star shows up and represents their brand, their fans know it, love it, and live for it. They are a model for what a rock star should be.
Tennis students expect the same thing but what are they getting? Are they getting the girl or guy who shows up as a rock star or someone who shows up indifferent? Ideally, like the actual music rock star, the tennis should pro walk on the court, model movement and introspection like someone playing a slam. But most of them don't and that's a problem for students because it sends mixed messages - YOU (the student) are supposed to be and play a certain way - when the coach isn't flying the flag of the tennis brand as best as they can.
Dr. Albert Mehabrian, who focused on the communication of human emotions, found that people (your students or a rock stars audience) will interpret most of the emotional content of your message by interpreting your nonverbal communication rather than by what you actually say.
So, if your coach is yelling at you to move a certain way but can't or won't do it themselves, how are they showing up? What about a coach whose feet never leap off the floor and always feeds out of the cart? Are either of these people flying the tennis flag? Are they showing up as a rock star or as an idol of indifference?
In this episode, we take a look at the effects of idols of indifference and what it would take to start making a change in who shows up on court.
Thanks for joining us on our journey!
www.tennisrockers.com -
If you learn somethings quickly, you tend to create an "emotional cloak of invincibility" or an emotional belief that you are the best (i.e. better than your friends or peers) at things in a certain activity in life. If you learn something in science or sports quickly, you tend to develop that belief or an emotional cloak of invincibility which is great for confidence and forging ahead in life but what happens when that new activity is agonizing?
The emotional cloak of invincibility quickly turns into emotional self-consciousness and potential embarrassment. This in turn produces a kind of personal resistance and maybe even actively trying to slow your colleagues down - if I can't get it, nobody is going to get it.
In this episode, we examine how to spot and work with our own and others cloaks of invincibility through recognition, inquiry, acknowledgment, and validation through group support.
Thanks for joining us on our journey!
www.tennisrockers.com -
We need to do a better job of recognizing our own emotional arousal states and the emotional arousal states of others to get the best out of ourselves, each other, and what we're trying to do.
What happens when a player or person is over-aroused? You're too jacked and you overhit causing it to go into the net or out of the park. What happens when a person or player is under-aroused? You can't bring your best of anything and you set a low standard for yourself.
To play at your best but not overplay takes a considerable amount of observation and modulation of personal emotional arousal states.
In this episode we examine human arousal states; what they are and how they effect us for the purpose of helping clubs, coaches, parents, and players appreciate how harnessing them can help and ignoring them can hurt a players performance and their long term love of the game.
Thanks for joining us on our journey!
www.tennisrockers.com -
It's no secret the dropout rate for youth tennis players over the age of 15 is over 60%. And while a lot of people are trying to figure out how to keep people from leaving, we're not. It's ok for people to leave tennis. They've spent their time, taken lessons, and maybe even played a few tournaments. Let them move and in turn let's trust that some of them will want to come back!
If we make peace with this perspective and prune the ranks of the tennis tree, we allow for new growth in the form of bringing back old friends and enlarging the tennis family!
Join us on our journey to figure out how to bring players back - one door closes and another one opens up:)
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